Start paying for Fast-Pass?

[Brian_WDW74]

That awfully nice of you - screw everyone else right - like most of the people in and around Central Florida that don't need to stay at a resort, AP holders along with others that make frequent day trips every month and other tourists that just may not be staying at a Disney resort for whatever reason.

You mean the Florida residents that have access to resident-only discounted passes, discounted hotel rates, the DDE card and other benefits? You mean the AP holders that have access to AP-only events, discounted merchandise, discounted hotel rates, the DDE card and other benefits? Are those the people who might be getting "screwed"?

 

[Pete C]

At first I loved Fastpass, however now it just annoys me. The lines would just work themselves out fairly if there were no fastpass at all, no? It also destroys the sense of just walking around and enjoying the park. You end up running around trying to fastpass the popular attractions and get back to the other rides. You are forced into having to take advantage of the system since it is there, and you would be at a disadvantage by not using it. I just don't like it. It also makes lines move slower so those waiting in line get more annoyed by all the fastpassers passing them. Finally, the extensive theming done in some of the queues is gone to waste.

However, I guess in the sense of Epcot if there were no fastpass the line for Soarin would be massive early in the day instead of distributing people out throughout the day.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Who cares, thanks to the exchange rate Im loaded.:lookaroun

 

[dandaman]

Let's not forget that Disney himself came from a poor family from Missouri.

And Canada! :lookaroun

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

And Canada! :lookaroun

I thought the Disneys were Jocks??

 

[Lozatar]

Universal Studios has started this, and it has lost a lot of interest on most of their rides, if Disney do the same, it will ruin many family's first experience of the park. Making family's pay to go on their favourite attractions is very un-Disney like.

 

[royorb1]

Free Fast Passes at WDW is one of the things I think of when I'm at Six Flags and wishing I was at WDW. It's just one of those things that makes WDW totally blow Six Flaggs away. I say don't mess with something that isn't broke. You're the best, don't lower yourself to the others.

 

[4parks1world]

this may have already been said but..if you stay on property at the other theme park in orlando (the one named after a movie studio) your room key is a fastpass to ALL thier rides .. stay with us .. you get some perks ... i guess. but i wouldn`t pay for it..

 

[pentau]

Just because they filed for a patent doesn't mean they will ever implement the technology beyond a prototype.

 

[Blackie Pueblo]

People are still missing one of the points I tried to make. I keep hearing... Six Flags does it... Universal does it...

So you're telling me that Disney is just a follower and is the same as other parks? :shrug: I thought there was a lot more to Disney than that. For shame.

"You reach a point, where you don't work for money."
---Walter Elias Disney

 

[DisneyparkFreak]

Re: charging for fastpasses

Call me a crazy, but if "resort" guests are the only ones allowed to have them and its based on what resort classification you are in that determines your FP experience then wouldnt the standby times go up even further, just because of the law of supply and demand. If all i could afford was a value resort due to having 3 kids and my wife and still have 45+ minute waits what gives me any incentive to use the fp system. not that many people can afford $300 bucks a night to stay at a deluxe. I read the patent report and i dont recall it ever saying anything about paying for it, just using a persons wireless phone to recieve the info. Am i wrong here. Or is the point that the crowds are getting too bad and disney needs to ween some people off of their twice a year vacation to the happiest place on earth... No more tips on DP, increase ticket prices, possible charging for FP... Whats next charging for magical express?

 

[Silvermist]

I think some people should read the article again. No where is there indication that Disney plans to start charging for FP. What seems to be under consideration is utilizing technology to more efficiently manage the FP system and offering resort guests priority in obtaining and utilizing them. This seems perfectly reasonable and in no way does it diminish Disney's reputation for treating their customers as "guests".

Providing some additional benefits to their own resort guests is important. Having a streamlined approach to getting guests into attractions with less of a wait is a benefit of considerable value, but I'm sure they will never implement a plan that would result in increased wait times for their other guests.

 

[CSUFSteve]

It does kind of complicated, doesn't it?

"Commoners are kings and kings are commoners." --Walt Disney

What ever happened to that? In some ways, you can't really say Disneyland or WDW have ever really been like that. But it does seem that quality of experience now is directly proportional to how much money you are willing to spend. I just can't decide if I feel there's anything wrong with that.

In some ways, Disney sends a message like "The Place Where More of Your Dreams Come True If You Can Pay More Money". I mean, the family who's making their 1st trip to WDW on a shoestring budget which they may not be able to afford but, dammit, they want their family to truly share an experience together, why are they less entitled to all that Disney has to offer b/c they can't afford it?

On the flip side, if I'm staying at Grand Floridian, why shouldn't the $400+/night entitle me to extra benefits?

On the flip side again, I mean in any other hotel, you pay more per night because of the HOTEL, because of the room, the view, the service... but it's all about the HOTEL. So should you really get anything else just b/c you chose to pay more b/c you wanted to stay at Grand Floridian?? You chose to stay at Grand Floridian - you could have stayed at Pop Century - but you chose GF knowing the rates they charge. So why should you get anything more?

Flipping again, you know what WOULD be nice - is if, while staying at a Deluxe Resort, I didn't have to friggin' share a bus with 4 other resorts. I mean come on - Deluxe's can't have a friggin' bus per resort?? What's the route? Swan/Dolphin/Yacht/Beach/Boardwalk? That's semi-ridiculous. Staying at Beach, at the end of a night, I hated coming back on a bus. And Fort Wilderness/Wilderness/Poly/Grand?? Wow, that's quite the circuit. And yet then there's All Star and Pop which have buses all to themselves.

But I digress...

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

"You reach a point, where you don't work for money."
---Walter Elias Disney

Who works for money:shrug: ? I work for the things money provides like food, shelter a decent car a large CD collection and a regular WDW fix.

 

[s8film40]

It looks as though Disney has already implemented some of the technology to make this work. I had noticed the other day that with the new fastpasses the type of ticket media used was printed at the very bottom. I thought to myself why does it matter what type of ticket I use to get a fastpass but now it all makes sense. It looks like the fastpass system has already been set up to recognize different categories of guests.

 

[bladerunner]

Call me a crazy, but if "resort" guests are the only ones allowed to have them and its based on what resort classification you are in that determines your FP experience then wouldnt the standby times go up even further, just because of the law of supply and demand. If all i could afford was a value resort due to having 3 kids and my wife and still have 45+ minute waits what gives me any incentive to use the fp system. not that many people can afford $300 bucks a night to stay at a deluxe. I read the patent report and i dont recall it ever saying anything about paying for it, just using a persons wireless phone to recieve the info. Am i wrong here. Or is the point that the crowds are getting too bad and disney needs to ween some people off of their twice a year vacation to the happiest place on earth... No more tips on DP, increase ticket prices, possible charging for FP... Whats next charging for magical express?

The way things seem to be headed ... is that if you want to go any of the parks you'll HAVE TO stay a resort. Otherwise you can't get in and even if you could get in why would you want to - all the FP's will be gone. Well you can always watch a parade or just stick to the rides with short lines if you want to get anything done. Very sad, very, very sad!!!

 

[sknydave]

I'm still trying to figure out where exactly people get this "un-Disney-like" notion?

Where have you been? Their sole purpose is to make money from tourists... WDW isn't some not-for-profit charity organization.

 

[ClemsonTigger]

Call me a crazy, but if "resort" guests are the only ones allowed to have them and its based on what resort classification you are in that determines your FP experience then wouldnt the standby times go up even further, just because of the law of supply and demand. If all i could afford was a value resort due to having 3 kids and my wife and still have 45+ minute waits what gives me any incentive to use the fp system. not that many people can afford $300 bucks a night to stay at a deluxe. I read the patent report and i dont recall it ever saying anything about paying for it, just using a persons wireless phone to recieve the info. Am i wrong here. Or is the point that the crowds are getting too bad and disney needs to ween some people off of their twice a year vacation to the happiest place on earth... No more tips on DP, increase ticket prices, possible charging for FP... Whats next charging for magical express?

FP wait times wouldn't increase because there would be no change to the number of "places" available...just how those places are filled.

The current system allows a certain number of FP's per time slot, when that is filled, it moves to the next time. A new system if implemented will follow the same sequence...just fill the sequence from sources other than the FP machines. If anything a new system could be more efficient in "cancelling" no show FP's or backfilling based on queue time to optimize flow.

I think some people should read the article again. No where is there indication that Disney plans to start charging for FP. What seems to be under consideration is utilizing technology to more efficiently manage the FP system and offering resort guests priority in obtaining and utilizing them. This seems perfectly reasonable and in no way does it diminish Disney's reputation for treating their customers as "guests".

Providing some additional benefits to their own resort guests is important. Having a streamlined approach to getting guests into attractions with less of a wait is a benefit of considerable value, but I'm sure they will never implement a plan that would result in increased wait times for their other guests.

I've brought that up a couple times in this thread as have others...some don't seem to want to listen to that part....

 

[Magicfinder]

Brilliant idea. At some point, when you are doing your ADR's at the 180 day mark, you can then do your ARR's at the same time.

I suppose regular park guests will get a Fastpass with approx. a 2 hour wait until the window opens, a Value resort guest will have their window open at the 1 1/2 hour mark, the moderates at the 1 hour mark, and the deluxe resorts will get immediate access . . .

Even with the sarcasm, I think this has the potential to be a very good idea, especially the tracking thing. The Mouse in the Sky will know that I have stopped at every snack stand that has a certain snack and they can alert me to where the next closest stand is. Or, they will know that I have had 15 bottles of pop and they will be able to buzz in and alert me to the closest rest room.

I'm usually a lurker, but I have to chime in...great post.:ROFLOL:

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Alton Towers has long targeted Fast Pass and the like, they too used to offer fast pass to mobile phone, now it looks like the Universal style cash extortion is the order of the day.

http://www.rialtoplus.com/rialtoplus/ConsumerControlServlet/home/initialise?webId=AltonTowers